GLOSSARY OF TERMS, PLACES AND
PERSONS
Abang: term of address for elder brother or person of similarly superior seniority
adat: traditional culture
Adat Perpatih: the traditional culture of the Minangkabau
Adityawarman: fl. 1325–1375, the founder of the royal Minangkabau dynasty
ADUN: abbreviation of Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri, or Member of State Legislative Assembly. There are 13 such legislative assemblies, one for each state
Akujanji: literally ‘I promise’, the name given to the mandatory declaration to be signed by civil servants, and academics and students in public universities
anak saudara: the child of a relative (typically a cousin)
angkat (tangan) sembah: literally ‘raising (hands) in homage’, a traditional practice of pressing one’s palms together and raising them to one’s forehead upon greeting someone endowed with daulat (or these days, a Malay Ruler)
ayahanda: a royal Malay term for ‘father’
ayam masak kuning: literally ‘chicken cooked yellow’, a delicious chicken dish made with coconut milk, lemongrass and turmeric, strongly associated with the royal town of Seri Menanti
Bank Negara: the Central Bank of Malaysia
bersatu dan maju: united and growing
balik kampong: literally ‘returning to the village’, refers to the practice of urban dwellers returning to their hometown especially for major celebrations
Bapa Merdeka: Father of Independence
Barang Naik: literally ‘(the price of) goods increases’, a pejorative play on the acronym of the Barisan Nasional, the ruling party
Barisan Nasional (BN): the National Front
Beribu-ribu tahun angin monsun menjunjung pantaimu / Biarlah ombak melanda semakin suci wajahmu: For millennia monsoon winds have encountered the beach / But let the waves crash until purity is reached
berkatlah Yang di-Pertuan Besar: God Save the Yang di-Pertuan Besar
biar mati anak, jangan mati adat: literally ‘let the child die, but don’t let custom die’, a rallying cry for those who seek to preserve culture and tradition at all costs
BNBBC: Barisan Nasional Backbenchers’ Club
bonda: a royal Malay term for ‘mother’
bumiputera: literally ‘prince of the soil’, a term to refer to those defined by the government as aboriginal or native
caklempong: Minangkabau instrument composed of tuned brass gongs
CCP: Chinese Communist Party
ceramah: lecture (especially religious or political)
cium tangan: literally ‘kissing hands’, typically by junior members of a family/community to senior ones upon greeting
DAP: Democratic Action Party
Daulat Tuanku: usually translated as the Malay equivalent of ‘God Save the King’
Daulat: variously translated as ‘sovereignty’ or ‘sacred power’, this is the quality that Malay Rulers need to legitimise their kingship
dendam tak sudah: a style of folding a tengkolok originating in Negeri Sembilan
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka: Institute for Language and Literature
Dewan Rakyat: House of Representatives, the lower house of Malaysia’s federal parliament
Dewan Negara: Senate, the upper house of Malaysia’s federal parliament
DSAI: Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim
duit kopi: literally ‘money for coffee’, colloquially ‘bribe money’
duit raya: money usually distributed in small envelopes by older relatives or family friends to younger members during Hari Raya
EPF: Employees’ Provident Fund
fatwa: an opinion on an issue by a Muslim authority that may or may not have legal force
FIC: Foreign Investment Committee
gamelan: a Malay orchestra typically comprising of gongs, xylophones and other traditional instruments
ISA: Internal Security Act
Jalur Gemilang: a name given to the Malaysian flag
kachang puteh: assortment of fried nuts and spicy savoury snacks
kebaya: modernised traditional Malay blouse for women
kerajaan: literally ‘the state of having a king’ i.e. (royal) government
ketayap: a soft skullcap
Konfrontasi: the undeclared war by Indonesia on the Federation of Malaya and later Malaysia between 1962 to 1966 in objection to the concept of Malaysia comprising the Federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore
kopiah: another term for soft skullcap
kopitiam: coffee shop
kuih lapis: delicious Malay cake composed of various coloured layers, typically pink and white
Ku Li: popular nickname for Tengku Razaleigh
kurung: a loose-fitting traditional Malay outfit for women
lemang: glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk cooked in bamboo
LRT: Light Rail Transit
MACC: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission
Majulah Malaysia: onwards Malaysia; the present-day motto on Singapore’s coat of arms is ‘Majulah Singapura’
mak yong: a dance originating in pre-Islamic times accompanied by a small orchestra
Malaysia Boleh: Malaysia Can, a slogan popular in the 1980s
mamak: a term referring to Tamil Muslims in Malaysia, particularly with regard to 24-hour food outlets serving such delicacies as roti canai
manora: a dance performance combining Malay and Thai legends, still performed in Kelantan
Mat Salleh: either a slightly pejorative term for a white-skinned person, or the name of a Sabah nationalist
MCA: Malay(si)an Chinese Association
MCP: Malayan Communist Party
mengaji: religious instruction, in particular learning the Qur’an
menguchapkan terima kaseh: to say thank you
Menteri Besar: Chief Minister
merantau: the Minangkabau custom of migration by males in search of experience, fame and fortune
Merdeka: independence / freedom
merealisasikan globalisasi: to realise globalisation
MIC: Malay(an) Indian Congress
MIUP: Malaysian Indian United Party
muzakarah: Arabic term for ‘dialogue’
nasi kerabu: Kelantanese dish featuring blue-coloured rice
Negaraku: ‘My Country’, the name of the Malaysian national anthem
NEM: New Economic Model
NEP: New Economic Policy
nobat: a royal Malay orchestra called upon to play at significant royal events
Orang Islam dilarang berfikir di waktu siang: Muslims are prohibited from thinking during the daytime
Pa’ Blalangs: Pa’ Blalang was, in a movie by P. Ramlee, a lazy man averse to hard work
Padri War: a Minangkabau civil war waged from 1821 to 1837 between secular traditionalists (allied with the Dutch) and religious puritans (the ‘adat’ and ‘padri’ factions respectively). The war made it impossible for the chiefs in Negeri Sembilan to travel to Pagar Ruyong to invite a new monarch after the death of Raja Lenggang in 1824, and so they appointed his son, Raja Raden, as Yang di-Pertuan Besar.
Pagar Ruyong: a region in West Sumatra from which the Minangkabau civilisation originates
Pakatan Rakyat: the People’s Alliance
Pak Lah: popular nickname for (then) Dato’ Seri Abdullah Badawi, Prime Minister 2003–09
Parameswara: b. 1344 d. 1414, the founder, in 1402, of Malacca, and its first Ruler
PAS: Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party
PERKIM: Pertubuhan Kebajikan Islam Malaysia, the Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia
PKFZ: Port Klang Free Zone
PKMM: Parti Kebangsaan Melayu Malaya, the Malay Nationalist Party of Malaya
PKR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat, the People’s Justice Party
PUTERA-AMCJA: refers to cooperation between the Pusat Tenaga Ra’ayat (Organisation of People’s Power) and the All-Malaya Council of Joint Action
rakyat: the people
rendang: slow-cooked meat with spices
roti canai: flatbread comprising of flour, egg, dough and water
Rukun Negara: the national principles formulated in 1970 comprising Belief in God, Loyalty to King and Country, Supremacy of the Constitution, Rule of Law, and Courtesy and Morality
salam: literally ‘peace’, a greeting; can also refer to the physical act i.e. palm-to-palm contact
samping: a tube of material e.g. songket tied around one’s waist, worn by Malay men
SAPP: Sabah Progressive Party
selamat bertakhta: safely reigning
selendang: a scarf to cover the head of a Malay lady
Semangat ’46 (S46): The Spirit of ‘46
serban: a turban, in Malaysia often associated with certain schools of thought or perceived levels of religious conservatism
silat: an ancient Malay martial art
SPM: Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, Malaysian Certificate of Education
songket: glorious fabric weaved with gold or silver thread in a variety of patterns
songkok: a dark-coloured brimless hat; best worn tilted to one side (senget)
Tanah Melayu: literally ‘Malay Land’, used to refer to the Malay Peninsula
tengkolok: traditional Malay headdress folded from songket fabric
tudung: a headscarf that conceals the hair of a Muslim woman
Tugu Negara: the national monument erected to commemorate heroes of World War II, the Emergency and Konfrontasi
UKM: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the National University of Malaysia
UMNO: the United Malays National Organisation. Several derogatory alter-natives have been coined
wau bebas: the kite of freedom
wayang kulit: shadow puppet plays associated with Kelantan
YB: Yang Berhormat, the honourable. An honorific assigned to all members of either house in the federal parliament and all members of state legislative assemblies. Unlike in the UK where this honorific is only used in the context of the parliamentary debate (e.g. ‘the honourable gentleman is an idiot’), in Malaysia it is used both inside and outside the chamber.